Electric receptacle.



N. MARSHALL.

ELEOTRIO BBOEPTAOLB. rruoynon rum) nu 2'1, 1909-.

954,642. Patented Apr. 12,1910.

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, m.- in QM m UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN MARSHALL, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO MARSHALL EIPECTBIC COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE, A CORPORATION OF MAINE.

ELECTRIC REGEPTACLE.

Specification 01 Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NORMAN Mnnsrmnn, a citizen of the United States residing at Newton, in the county. of iddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented-certain new and'useful Im rovements in Electric Receptacles; and I c hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to electric receptacles adapted for use in making connection with the conductor wires of an electric in stallation, and more articularly to receptacles which are especially adapted for mak ing electrical connection with conductor wires arranged in the grooved molding such as is commonly employed'in making electrical installations.

The object of the invention is to provide an electric receptacle of the above character which is simple 'and compact in construction, in which the current carrying parts are offectively insulated and protected, and the parts of which. may be readil connected with the conductor wires an assembled without loss of time and without any danger of securing the separable parts of the receptacle in improper relation to each other in maki'n the installation.

To t ese ends-the invention consists in the features of construction and arrangement hereinafter described and referred to in the claims, theadvanta es of which will be apparent to those skil ed in the art.

The various features of the invention will be understood from an inspection of the accompanying drawings in which- Eigure 1 is a view showing the base block of the receptacle connected with conductor wires which are arranged within the grooves of a molding such as is commonly used in electric wiring; Fig. 2 is ,an outer face view of the cover of a rece tacle; Fig. 3 isa view of the under face of tile receptacle; and Fig.

. 4 is a central sectional view showin the nocc tacle seen d in osition on a mo ding.

comprises a base block carr nals whichare connected Wlll wires, and a cover which is secured in po 1-1 tion over" the base, block and carries the terminals throughwhich electrical connections may be made directly with an electric he; recep acle s own in the drawings ing the ternnthe conduct r ing cylindr c an outer recess lamp or with terminals connected by con ductor wires with a lamp or oilier translating device. As shown the base block 1, which is formed of porcelain or other suitable insulating material. is substantially rectangular, and is provided with side lugs 2 over which the conductor wires 3 may be bent in making electrical connection with the current carrying parts of the rece tacle. The lower face of the receptacle is a apted to rest upon the outer face of the molding between the grooves 4 which contain the conductor wires, and the outer face of the base block is provided with recesses 6 within which the metallic plates 7 are secured. The plates 7 extend out over the lugs Zinto position-to underlie the conductor wires 4:, and the plates are provided with upturned ends 8 and binding screws 9 for securing the wires to the plates. The terminal plates 7 extend diagonally in from the opposite sides of the base block, and are provided with spring contact pieces 10 which are so located that they are substantially midway between the, conductor wires, and are symmetrically arranged or ate ual distances from the ends of the base bloc The base block is provided with a projectin wall 11 which lies between the terminal p ates 7, and also extends between the inner ends of the terminal plates and the conductor wires. This wall thus forms a barrier of insulatin material between the terminal plates and between each terminal late and the conductor wire of o posite po' arity.

Tlie cover of the receptacle, which is formed of porcelain or other suitable ma terial, is rovided with a base 12 the under surface 0 which is adaptedto rest against the surface of the molding when the cover is secured in place over the base block 1. The under face of the cover is provided with a: recess 13, the walls of which are ada ted to surround and inclose the base bloc and arts connected thereto. The inner wall 0 the recess is provided with 1011- gitudinally extending grooves 14 to receive the ends of the wall 11 on the base and thus center the base block within the recess. The cover is prov'ded with an outwardly extendl flange or wall 15 .which forms 16 for receiving the electric terminals of the receptacle. The outer recess is separated fromth-e inner recess 13 by an insulating wall 1]. In the construction shown the terminals within the outer recess 16 comprise a metallic screw shell. 18 and a center contact plate 19 which are adapted to receive and make electrical connectlon with the base of an electric lamp or a. plug of well-known construction. The centei' contact is secured in place by a screw 20 wiich extends through the wall 17between the recesses 13 and 16, and the head of which lies within the recess 13 and forms a contact piece for engaging one of the spring contact pieces 6 on the base block. The screw shell 18 is secured in the recess 16 by screws 21 which extend through the wall 17. One of these screws is so arranged that its head forms a contact for enga' 1n one of the contact pieces (5 on the base b loc when the cover is secured in position over the base block. The cover is provided at each end'with a hole 22 for the passage of a securing screw 23 by which the cover may be secured in position on the molding.

With the construction described, the conductor wires may be readily connected with the wire terminals on the base block, and after this connection has been made the cover may be quickly and conveniently se cured in place over the base block. Since the contactpieces 6 on the base block, and the contact pieces 17 and 21 on the cover, are symmetrically arranged, the cover may either be secured in the position indicated in Fig. 4 or maybe turned end for end and secured in position with the contact pieces 17 and 21 reversed. In either case the contact pieces 17 will engage one of the contact pieces 6, and the contact piece 21 will engage the other contact,-and proper electrical connection will be made between the conductor wires and terminals of the receptacle. No care or attention is therefore required on the part of the workman in order to secure the cover in proper position over the base block. When secured in position over the base block, the cover incloses and protects the base block, and the block is clamped and held in position without requiring any screws or similar fastenin s for connecting the base block and cover.

%Vhile I prefer to employ the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, this construction and arrangement is not materialexceptas defined in the claims, and may be varied and modified without departing from the invention.

Having explained the nature and object of the invention, and described one construction of receptacle in which it may be embodied, what I claim is 1. An electric receptacle, having, in combination, a porcelain base block rovided with side lugs over which contact wires may be bent, terminal lates on the base block provided with bin in devices located over the side lugs and witi contacts rings located in line longitudinally. of tlie base, a porcelain cover provided on its inner face with a recess to inclose and retain thebase block and on its outer face with a recess separated from the inner face by a porcelam wall,'electric terminals in the outer recess, a screw extending through the porcelain wall for securing the terminals in the outer recess and'arranged to enga e the com tact springs on the base block, su stantially as described.

2. An electric receptacle, having, 'in combination a porcelain base block provided with side lugs over which the conductor wires may be bent, terminal plates on the base block provided with binding devices for connecting theterminals with the conductor wires and with the contact springs 10 arranged symmetrically with relation to the axes of the base block, a porcelain cover provided with a recesst on its inner face to inclose and retain the base block and rovided with an outer recess separated mm the inner recess by a porcelain wall, terminals in the outer recess, screws 20 and 21 for securing the terminals in the outer recess ar ranged to engage the contact Springs 10 when the cover is in position over the base block, substantiallyas described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

NORMAN MARSHALL, Witnesses:

\VARRnN G. OGDEN, N. D. MoPHAIL. 

